Display rack



my 19, i940. M. A. WOLF DISPLAY RACK Filed May 23, 1938 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 19, 1940 PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY RACK Morris A. Wolf,Brownwood, Tex., assignor to Wolf Original Displays, Inc., Dallas, Tex.,a corporation Application May 23, 1938, Serial No. 209,504

3 Claims.

This invention relates to display means for merchandise and in suchconnection it has particular reference to a rack or display support forcloth in bolt form.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a convenient andsimple form of holder or support for dress goods, suitings, and othertypes of cloth in the bolt whereby the bolts may be displayed and heldin a vertical position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display rack havingslidable, cloth supporting elements to permit bolts of cloth not held onthe slidable elements to be slipped in between the elements and heldupright and in a display position, by sliding the elements against theloose or unsupported bolt, or bolts.

The invention also includes means for maintaining the bolt supportingelements in a shifted position and means for removing the clothsupporting wickets or loop elements when desired.

The invention will be clearly understood from a perusal. of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, and in the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the new and improved cloth rack;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View of Figure 2. the view being had alongthe line 3-3 of said Figure;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the adjustable cloth supportingblocks, wickets removed;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view, similar to the view in Figure 3,but with the adjustable blocks removed and partly broken away; and

Figure 6 is a. side view of one of the removable wickets or clothholding elements removed from its block.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the rack consists of the sidepieces or rails I arranged in spaced parallel position and connected bythe end pieces 2. The rack or display support may be constructed of anysuitable or preferred material, and in case wood is used the joints arepreferably mortised to provide a neat and compact appearance. Spacedacross the side pieces I at the bottom of the rack are brace elements 3for holding the side pieces or rails in rigid and parallel spacedrelationship.

In Figure 1 is shown the rack having five, slidable blocks with wicketsor cloth supporting elements, but the rack may be as long as desired andmay have as many of these blocks and wickets as preferred, sufficient toenable the blocks to have enough space to be moved along the rack. -Forthis purpose the side rails or pieces I are grooved as at 4, from end toend of the rails to enable the blocks 5 to be slidably held therein.These blocks have tongue formations or parts 6 which are slidablypositioned in the grooves as shown in Figure 3, and also the bottoms ofthese blocks are grooved as at i, so that the groove will straddle astrip 8. The strip 8 serves to guide and keep the blocks in alinementwith the rails and is connected to the end pieces 2 and is mortised tothe cross pieces 3, as shown in Figure 5.

These blocks and rails serve to support the bolts of cloth A inconnection with the wickets or wire loops 9the bolt of cloth beingslipped over the wicket as shown, and supported partly on the blocks andrails. The wickets are made of suitable steel or similar metal toprovide a springy eifect-Figure 6 showing one of the wire loops inexpanded position. Holes II] in each of the blocks provide a support forthe legs II of the wickets, as will be obvious.

The blocks with the cloth supporting loops or wickets may thus be slidor moved along the rails to a desired display position of the cloth,thus holding the bolts of cloth in a convenient position for inspection,and one bolt may stand alone without being supported in the customarymanner by leaning against the adjacent bolt. Loose bolts of cloth suchfor instance as indicated at A-I and which are not supported on theblocks may be placed in the stock and a bolt of cloth A-2 carried on ablock, slid along the rails and against the bolt AI to hold it upright.

The blocks may be slid along between the rails to the desireddisplayposition of the cloth as explained, and to hold the blocks in suchposition, there is provided a plunger I2, under spring tension, thespring I3 being seated in an opening communicating with the groove 1.The block-holding effect is produced by the spaced depressions I4 inconnection with the rounded head of the plungerthese depressions beinglikewise rounded to conformably receive and seat the head of theplunger. The depressions are made in the strip 8, and when the plungeris thus seated the block is held in adjusted position. The blocks may bemoved to desired position by slight pressure, whereupon the rounded headof the plunger will be moved upwardly out of the depressionthe spring,then under tension, forcing the plunger head downwardly when the nextdepression is reached.

Spaced along one of the rails are rods I5 for holding a price tag IE toindicate price or prices of the various bolt or bolts of clothdisplayed.

It is believed that with the foregoing explanation no furtherdescription of the operation of the rack will be required. While thedisclosure reveals a practical working embodiment of the invention, itis to be understood that modificati'ons', changes [and ,alterations maybe made therein, and in keeping with the spirit and intent thereof, suchas would be within the scope and meaning of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A display rack of the character described, comprising parallel spacedrails, and an end piece for each end of the rack, the parallel railsbeing secured to the end pieces, a block element slidably arranged onthe rails, a loop of metal in wicket form and of resilient naturecarried on the block element for supporting in a vertical position abolt of cloth slipped over and upon the loop, and means for holding theblock element in adjusted positions on the rails.

2. A display rack of the character described, comprising parallel spacedrails and an end piece for each end of the rack, the parallel spacedrails being secured to the end pieces, grooves formed in the rails,block elements with removable cloth supporting wickets for holding boltsof cloth in a vertical display position, said block elements havinglateral tongue formations for slidably positioning the block elements onand with the rails, a reinforcing strip for the said spaced parallelrails, the said reinforcing strip being longitudinally spaced betweensaid rails, and the reinforcing strip being secured to the end pieces,said block elements being grooved on their bottom sides to permit themto be slid along the reinforcing strip, and locking means interposedbetween the reinforcing strip and the block elements for maintainingsaid block elements in adjusted positions on the rails.

3. A display rack of the character described, comprising spaced railshaving a groove formed on one side of each rail and an end piece foreach end of the rack, the spaced rails being secured to the end pieces,block member having parts projecting therefrom and adapted to be engagedin a slidable manner in said grooves of the rails, a loop of metal inwicket form and of a resilient nature carried in each of the blocks forholding in a vertical position a bolt of cloth slipped over and upon theloop, a reinforcing strip with depressions therein positioned betweenthe rails, the reinforcing strip secured to the end pieces of the rack,said blocks being grooved on their bottom sides to permit the blocks toride on the reinforcing strip, each of the blocks having a recesscommunicating with the groove in its bottom side and each recesscarrying a spring operated plunger, and the spring operated plungersadapted to engage the depressions in the reinforcing strip as the blocksare moved along the rails so as to hold each of the blocks in adjustedpositions.

MORRIS A. WOLF.

